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<p>DALLAS TWP. &#8212; OK, make a math symposium sound fun and exciting to the average person.</p><p>&#8220;No pressure,&#8221; Misericordia University math professor Steven Tedford quipped.</p><p>Tedford launched the university&#8217;s Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties Mathematics Symposium in 2010, and is preparing for the 8th annual symposium Oct. 7 beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the Mary Kintz Bevevino Library.</p><p>&#8220;I started it as a way for faculty to get together,&#8221; Tedford said of the symposium genesis. It offers professors a chance to share teaching successes, and helps younger faculty build up their resumes.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a way for them to get a 20-minute talk under their belt and build their Curricula Vitae, preparing for national meetings or presentations to larger groups,&#8221; Tedford added.</p><p>It&#8217;s also a chance for a group of math wizards to connect with like-minded number lovers &#8220;and talk math.&#8221;</p><p>Seasoned faculty may share teaching tactics that have worked well, while newer instructors may get input on planned research projects, he noted.</p><p>Yes, theoretical mathematics can get so far up in the mental stratosphere only a handful of people will grasp what an expert says, Tedford conceded, but other presentations are more accessible. &#8220;One faculty member is doing a history of math,&#8221; for example, looking at math breakthroughs and how they happened over the centuries.</p><p>But thinking theoretical math is strictly an exercise in uber-geekiness is flatly wrong, he added. &#8220;I&#8217;m more of a theoretical math person,&#8221; he admitted, explaining he often &#8220;found stuff that I thought had no application whatsoever, and it gets applied to something I never thought of.</p><p>&#8220;Some people are more inclined to find the applications, but you still need the theory that underlies it first.&#8221;</p><p>And the applications for math are vast and growing, especially in a world of big data. Math is required in smart phone apps, computer graphics, marketing, political strategies and much more.</p><p>Which is how Tedford sells his favorite subject as a smart major.</p><p>&#8220;What I tell the students is this: if you get a degree as a math major, you can go do just about anything else. Math shows you how to tackle problems, how to look at them and find solutions, and how to break them down into key parts.&#8221;</p><p>Symposium presenters include Misericordia faculty members Patrick Touhey, Triet M. Pham, and Yuhan Ding, plus University of Scranton faculty Steven Dougherty and Leona Sparaco. </p><p>To register, contact Tedford at stedford@misericordia.edu or call 570-674-6771. The symposium is free and will include lunch.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Tedford </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/web1_Tedford-Steven.jpg</photo0><caption0>Tedford </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mark Guydish</p><p>mguydish@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>IF YOU GO</strong></p><p><strong>What: </strong>Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties Mathematics Symposium</p><p><strong>When:</strong> Saturday, Oct. 7, beginning at 8:30 a.m.</p><p><strong>Where: </strong>The Mary Kintz Bevevino Library at Misericordia University</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Count on it: Math symposium set at Misericordia